I got it: put the National Guard on the Mexican border to protect us from all those al Qaeda types coming up from the south. They're not Arabs, but Mexicans looking for a better job and a better life, once known as the American Dream? So what! We can an election that we need to win with a diversion.

Is W. that cynical. You bet!

The tried and true GOP tactic of pandering and fear-mongering will be served up Monday night, live from the Oval Office. W.'s latest "compromise" on the immigration issue is a doozy -- no walls, just people.

A couple of key questions: isn't the National Guard under the control of individual states. So how do you send the Massachusetts guard to Texas? Aren't we really short on Guard troops and equipment because they are carrying the fight in Iraq? Who is going to pitch in when the next hurricane hits? Prayer alone won't be enough.

Faced with all these contradictions, the Bush folks aim for the only lifeline that matters: the true believers. Those who are ready to bail because Congress hasn't banned homosexuality (let along gay marriage) need some red meat and immigration is the answer.

So keep that in mind when the Pompous Pontificator (or is that the Deadly Decider?) speaks from the Oval Office. With this proposal to post troops on the border, he's trying to keep red meat conservatives in the party and not worrying about keeping out al Qaeda (or Mexicans).